46 BRITISH DAIRYING. 



does so little for her creatures. As I have said, a great im- 

 provement has of late years taken place in the feeding and 

 management of cattle in many parts of the country; but there are 

 many parts still left into which such improvement has not pene- 

 trated very generally, and here it is that I wish to make myself 

 heard. It is far better, too, to begin early than late with a 

 supply of better food. A given quantity of corn fed to a cow 

 during the whole of the winter, instead of being crowded into one 

 half of it, will be found the preferable plan. For instance 2 Ibs. 

 of cake per diem from the end of September to the end of April 

 will have a better effect than 4 Ibs. a day during half the time. 

 At least, such is my experience. And, indeed, to postpone 

 the cake until the winter is half over is to allow the cattle to 

 become lean first of all, and then to try to make them fresh 

 again ; that is, to get back somehow the condition which has 

 been thrown away before. I wish every dairy farmer would 

 try the plan of giving 2 Ibs. of cake over and above their other 

 usual food, with a few of his cows, just as an experiment. Let 

 him begin early enough, say as soon as the nights become cold, 

 and keep on steadily until grass day the following spring. Let 

 him note the results, not only in the cows* condition, but in 

 the quantity and quality of the milk they will yield. Let him 

 compare these cows with others to whom these 2 Ibs. of cake 

 have not been allowed, and I believe he will admit that the 

 cake has been a good investment. Begin early enough with it : 

 better a month too early than a week too late." 



Leaving aside for the moment the question of cruelty to 

 animals, it should be made known that, in bad weather, shelter 

 stands for so much food. The temperature of the cow's body 

 must be maintained, and this can only be done by means of 

 the carbo-hydrates in the food she eats. The heat-producing 

 elements of food sugar, starch, fat, and so on are consumed 

 in her stomach to maintain her physical temperature, just as 

 coal is burned in a stove to warm a room, save that the process 

 in the one case is slower than in the other. And therefore it 

 follows that when there is a loss of animal heat in bad weather, 

 owing to exposure, extra food is needed to make up for it, or 



